Auto and vehicle theft continues to plague businesses and communities across Canada. With governments and law enforcement still seeking an effective solution to prevent auto theft, how can proactive security help protect vehicles?
Auto theft has left governments across the country scrambling.
Auto theft is a crime that is on the rise in Canada, with both businesses and individuals being targeted at an alarming rate. These crimes range from stealing vehicles from outside homes and in residential parking lots, to commercial properties and auto dealerships that thieves target for their fleet vehicles or inventory. With this sharp increase in motor vehicle theft, governments and law enforcement agencies at all levels are scrambling to find different ways to combat thieves who target vehicles.
Criminals use sophisticated technology to steal vehicles.
There have been efforts by all levels of government to fight the rising tide of auto theft across the country. The federal government is seeking new ways to ban the technologies and devices used to steal cars, as well as enacting tougher penalties for criminals who commit vehicle theft. Governments and law enforcement agree that more needs to be done to restrict specific technologies that criminals are using to steal vehicles. Thieves utilize consumer-grade hacking devices such as immobilizer re-programmers and GPS jammers to gain access to vehicles – often older vehicles that don’t have modern anti-theft technology installed. Thieves break into the vehicles and access their diagnostic port, which every vehicle is legally required to have, and use the port to re-program the key fob (1). The laws to ban these technologies are in motion but not yet in place, which means other solutions are necessary to help prevent auto theft.
With these technologies at the disposal of criminals, auto theft is becoming more organized and more sophisticated, with many crime groups escalating their efforts. In response, the federal government and law enforcement officials have stepped up their efforts to combat auto theft. In Ontario, where auto theft has been skyrocketing – the federal government has pledged $121 million in funding for the province to fight the problem (2). Individual municipalities have also increased their efforts as well, with Police in the city of London, Ontario launching their own awareness initiatives to combat auto theft in their community. These programs are meant to spread awareness of how individuals and businesses can better protect their vehicles, with a focus on Awareness, Analysis, Enforcement, and Technology. (3)
In addition, law enforcement has listed several ways we can help protect our vehicles from auto theft:
Park vehicle in locked/secure garage
Always lock vehicle’s doors and windows after entering and exiting
Never leave vehicle unattended with engine running
Remove valuables from vehicle when not in use
Use a steering wheel lock to deter theft (4)
Recent incidents show that vehicle theft is not going anywhere.
Recent and brazen incidents prove that auto theft is a prevailing problem across Canada. In January 2024, thieves committed not one, but two brazen thefts at a car dealership in Cocagne, New Brunswick. The thieves broke into a dealership office after-hours on a Friday night, and stole keys to six vehicles which were then driven off the lot. The business had security cameras installed, but the thieves disconnected the entire system during their heist. They then returned two days later on Sunday night and stole an additional vehicle, even after the owner disconnected the remaining vehicles on the property so they couldn’t start. Not long after, two of the six stolen vehicles were recovered, but they were damaged extensively and were no longer in selling condition. (5)
To paint a bigger picture, in 2023 as a whole, a car was stolen every 40 minutes in Toronto. Recent reports state that more than 12,000 cars were stolen in the GTA last year, valued at almost $800 million. Toronto Police have called upon the federal government for assistance as Toronto continues to be a hotbed of auto theft, with its communities specifically targeted by auto thieves over the last several years. (6)
How can proactive security help protect vehicles from auto theft?
Artificial Intelligence supercharges auto dealership security systems
Artificial intelligence is changing the face of security – our proprietary AI platform effectively detects human movement and differentiates it from other movement and objects on-site. If an individual enters into camera view, AI will detect them and alert our Monitoring operators, who will deter the individual from continuing further.
Video Security Units create a perimeter of effective car dealership security
Our Video Security Units are engineered for comprehensive camera coverage and site protection. They utilize two stationary cameras to provide perimeter protection and situational awareness. The inclusion of a dedicated PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera allows our Monitoring team to zoom in on important details and collect valuable information, evidence, & descriptions. Multiple Video Security Units are installed on-site to cover all the angles – leveraging our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform to connect wirelessly and provide full protection.
Live Remote Video Monitoring deters criminals
Proactive deterrence is the key to effective auto dealership security. Many car dealership security systems are reactive, which results in footage is only being viewed and analyzed after the crime has already taken place. At our UL Certified Video Monitoring Facility, our Live Remote Video Monitoring team deter crime before it happens, warning potential auto thieves that they are being live monitored and the site is off-limits. Our team utilize proactive deterrents, such as loud, authoritative voice commands to speak to individuals, and bright LED strobe lights to signal that their activity is being surveilled. If the individuals don’t heed the warning of our Monitoring team, Police will be dispatched to the scene.
syncroDetect protects offices and storage areas
Auto thieves often target office spaces at car dealerships because they contain access to vehicle keys and fobs. In addition to our car dealership video monitoring, our wireless intrusion alarm system, syncroDetect, can help to protect these sensitive areas. Door and window contact sensors will activate when a person breaches an entrance or exit, and motion sensors will detect any movement. Combined with our other proactive security features, syncroDetect can be leveraged to help protect all areas on-site.
syncroReports is a full security suite at your fingertips
Never miss a moment of what is happening at your auto dealership or commercial property. With our proprietary reporting platform, syncroReports, you can stay fully updated about your site security – view log reports, control PTZ camera movements, access your license plate database, and more. Maintain a full view of your site security by accessing syncroReports on web and mobile whenever you need it.
With auto theft prevailing across Canada and with no solution in sight, proactive security and Live Remote Video Monitoring is an effective way to protect vehicles and properties from thieves.
Resources:
- “With car theft rising in Canada, what technologies are criminals using?”, Saba Aziz, Global News, February 8, 2024
- “Government of Canada announces federal support to prevent crime and combat auto theft in Ontaro”, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Newsire.ca, January 31, 2024
- “London, Ont. Police launch ‘Project Safe Auto’ aimed at curbing auto theft”, Ben Harrietha, Global News, March 11, 2024
- “Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips”, Halton Police
- “Double weekend theft hits N.B. car dealership: ‘This is devastating and it’s got to stop’”, Alana Pickrell, CTV News Atlantic, January 15, 2024
- “A car was stolen every 40 minutes in Toronto last year, Police chief says”, The Canadian Press, CBC.ca, March 18, 2024